The simplest way to combine PDFs without extra software

You can merge PDFs using free tools built into Windows and Mac, or through your web browser — you do not need to buy software or install anything. The fastest method depends on how many files you have and whether you need to reorder them.

On Windows 10 and 11, you can combine PDFs by opening them in Microsoft Edge, printing them to a single file, or using the free online tool ILovePDF. On Mac, Preview (the built-in image viewer) lets you drag PDFs into a single document. If you have more than five PDFs or need to rearrange pages before merging, a web tool usually saves time because you can see thumbnails and drag them into the order you want.

The trade-off is straightforward: built-in tools are faster for two or three files, but web tools give you more control over the final order and let you delete pages you do not want included.

Key Takeaways

  • Windows users can merge PDFs through Microsoft Edge by opening each file and printing them together to a PDF, or use the free web tool ILovePDF to upload and combine files in any order.
  • Mac users can open PDFs in Preview, drag pages from one document into another, and save the result as a new file.
  • Web-based PDF tools let you see thumbnails of each page, reorder them by dragging, and delete pages before merging — useful when you only want certain pages from each file.
  • All methods produce a standard PDF that opens in any reader; the merged file is not locked to the tool you used to create it.
  • If you merge PDFs regularly as part of your work, a dedicated tool like PDFtk or Smallpdf may save time, but free options work for occasional merging.

Merging PDFs on Windows using Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge (the browser that comes with Windows 10 and 11) can combine multiple PDFs into one without opening a separate program. Open the first PDF in Edge by dragging it into the browser window or right-clicking the file and selecting "Open with" > "Microsoft Edge".

Once the PDF is open, look for the printer icon in the top right corner of the Edge window, or press Ctrl + P. In the print dialog, change the printer from your physical printer to "Print to File" or "Microsoft Print to PDF". Give the file a name and choose where to save it. Then open the second PDF in a new Edge tab, print it the same way to the same filename, and Edge will ask whether to append (add) the pages to the existing file or replace it. Select "Append" to add the pages.

Repeat this for each PDF you want to merge. The downside is that pages appear in the order you print them, and you cannot reorder or delete individual pages once they are combined. If you need to rearrange pages, use a web tool instead.

Merging PDFs on Mac using Preview

Preview, the image and PDF viewer built into Mac, can combine PDFs by dragging pages between documents. Open the first PDF in Preview (double-click it, or right-click and select "Open With" > "Preview"). Then open the second PDF in a new Preview window by going to File > Open and selecting the second file.

In the first Preview window, click the sidebar icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left to show the page thumbnails. Arrange your windows side by side so you can see both. In the second Preview window, select all pages (Cmd + A) or the specific pages you want to move, then drag them into the thumbnail panel of the first window. Preview will insert them at the end or at the position where you drop them.

Once all pages are in the first window, go to File > Export As, choose PDF as the format, give it a new filename, and save. This method works well because you can see each page as a thumbnail and rearrange them by dragging before you save.

Using a free web tool to merge PDFs with more control

Web-based tools like ILovePDF, Smallpdf, or PDF Merge let you upload multiple PDFs, see all pages as thumbnails, reorder them by dragging, and delete pages you do not want before merging. Go to the tool's website, click the upload button, and select all the PDFs you want to combine at once.

The tool will display each PDF as a row of page thumbnails. You can drag entire PDFs up or down to change their order, or drag individual pages between files. If a PDF has 20 pages but you only need pages 5 through 10, you can delete the others before merging. Once you are satisfied with the order and content, click "Merge" or "Combine", and the tool will create a single PDF that you can read.

The main limitation is that web tools require an internet connection and you are uploading files to a server. For sensitive documents, check the tool's privacy policy — most free tools delete files after a few hours, but if that concerns you, use the built-in Windows or Mac methods instead. Web tools are fastest when you have more than three PDFs or need to reorder pages.

What to do if you need to merge PDFs regularly

If merging PDFs is part of your regular workflow — for example, combining scanned documents, reports, or invoices — a dedicated tool may save time. PDFtk (free, command-line based), Sejda (web and desktop), or Adobe Acrobat (paid) let you set up templates or batch processes so you can merge multiple sets of files without repeating the same steps each time.

For most people, the free web tools or built-in methods are sufficient. But if you merge 10 or more PDFs per week, a dedicated tool with batch processing will be faster than uploading files one set at a time. Test a web tool first to see whether the time you save is worth learning new software.

Why the merged PDF might look different from the originals

When you merge PDFs, the resulting file is usually identical to the originals — same text, same images, same formatting. However, if the original PDFs have different page sizes (for example, one is letter-size and another is A4), the merged file will contain both sizes. Some tools let you resize all pages to match before merging; others leave them as-is.

If a PDF is password-protected or has restrictions on copying, most tools cannot merge it without the password. You will need to remove the password first (if you have permission to do so) or use a different method. The merged PDF is not locked to the tool you used to create it — it opens in any PDF reader like Adobe Reader, Preview, or your web browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I merge PDFs on my phone or tablet?

Yes, through web tools. Open your phone's browser, go to ILovePDF or Smallpdf, and upload the PDFs you want to merge. The process is the same as on a computer. Some phones also have PDF apps (like Adobe Reader or GoodNotes) that can combine files, but the web tools are usually simpler if you do not already use those apps.

What if one of my PDFs is scanned and the text is not searchable?

Merging will not change that — the merged PDF will still have unsearchable text. If you need the text to be searchable, you would need to run the scanned PDF through optical character recognition (OCR) software before merging. Most web tools do not offer OCR, but some paid tools like Adobe Acrobat do.

Can I merge PDFs and keep them in a specific order?

Yes, but the method depends on your tool. Built-in Windows and Mac methods merge in the order you process the files, so you need to open them in the correct sequence. Web tools let you drag PDFs and pages into any order you want before merging, which is easier if you have many files.

Will merging PDFs make the file size larger?

The merged file will be roughly the sum of the original file sizes — if you merge a 2 MB PDF and a 3 MB PDF, the result will be around 5 MB. Merging does not compress the files. If file size is a concern, you can compress the merged PDF afterward using a web tool or software.

What happens if I merge PDFs with different security settings?

The merged PDF will have the least restrictive settings of the originals. If one PDF allows printing and another does not, the merged file will usually allow printing. If you need to add security to the merged PDF, most tools let you set a password or restrict copying after merging.